


But the Truth Hurts

by mockingjaycie



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 19:27:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/727059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mockingjaycie/pseuds/mockingjaycie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian was stubborn and he wasn't letting Mickey go that easily. Post 3x09.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But the Truth Hurts

He would have liked to think that it was persistence that brought him here, but in reality he knew that it was probably just stupidity. After what happened last time, there was no reason for Ian to go looking for Mickey. But Ian was stubborn and he wasn’t letting Mickey go that easily. That was the only reason he went back to the same abandoned building, one place he would be more than okay with never seeing again. Giving up just wasn’t an option in his mind.

As he leaned up against the wall and stared across the room at Mickey, Ian thought he saw the same look flash across Mickey's face that he had seen (thought he had seen? Imagined he had seen?) only two days before when he had pushed and pushed at Mickey until he cracked. It was that look that had driven Ian to seek Mickey out now. It was that look that gave him the courage to walk closer to the man who meant more to him than he would be willing to admit.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Gallagher?" Mickey's voice sounded rough, as if he hadn't spoken much since they had last seen each other.

"Guess I'm a sucker for punishment," Ian answered in what he hoped was a flippant tone. Truth was he had never been more terrified of what would happen than he was right now, but he couldn't let that show. Any sign of weakness would only push Mickey further away.

The humorless laugh coming from Mickey didn't surprise Ian one bit, but he didn't respond otherwise, which Ian took as a sign of encouragement. He made his way closer to Mickey, sliding down against the wall beside him. When Mickey still didn't say anything, Ian picked up the bottle sitting next to him and took a drink. He was too sober for this.

Finally Mickey spoke up. "You should leave."

"What if I don't wanna?"

"Christ, Gallagher." Ian hoped he wasn't imagining the slight hint of desperation in Mickey's voice. "Then you're a fucking moron. Get out of here."

Ian just shook his head. He had come here for a reason, and he wasn't leaving until finished what he came to do. "I know why you did it," he told Mickey, knowing that he needed to be careful with what he said, or else he would just end up back on the ground, covered in blood yet again.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"It took me a while," Ian continued as if Mickey had never said a word. That was an understatement. Ian had hardly came out of his room for the past two days. He had been skipping school, and while he hadn't cried since that first night, Fiona was still worried about him. She had been more than relieved when he finally made his way down the stairs that afternoon, at least until she saw the look on his face as he swept by her without a word, and walked out the door. Only Lip had any idea what was going on, but he was too wrapped up in his own problems to care. Even if he wasn't, he didn't know the full story and Ian sure as hell wasn't going to tell him what had happened. "Did you really think that was going to be enough?"

Ian wasn't looking at Mickey as he spoke. There was still always that chance that he was making all of this up in his head; that Mickey hadn't just been trying his hardest to push Ian away for whatever dumbass reason he had come up with. But the only way Ian would know for sure was if he looked at Mickey, and he wasn't strong enough for that, so he kept his eyes trained straight ahead, waiting to see if Mickey was going to answer him.

When he didn't get a response, Ian huffed out a humorless laugh. "You don't fucking get to make those decisions for me."

Now he was getting angry, and although he still wasn't looking at him, he could tell Mickey was too. It was in the way he suddenly tensed even more than he already was, the way Ian could feel his fists clenched where he was sitting probably just a little too close.

"Who the fuck are you to decide I can't handle it?" Ian knew he was pushing it now. This wasn't what he had come here to do. He couldn't help it though; all the anger, resentment, everything he had been feeling for the past two days was rushing forward and he couldn't hold it back. He looked over at Mickey for the first time since he sat down next to him, and stopped cold at the look on his face. It was that same look, the one Ian still couldn't find a name for. All at once the anger that had been building evaporated, and Ian was left just feeling so _lost._

Ian ran a hand through his hair, just watching as Mickey took another drink from the bottle that had been sitting in between them. "So that's it? You're not gonna say anything?"

Silence. Ian couldn't handle this silence anymore. It was killing him.

"Fuck, Mick, just say _something_ ," Ian said, not even trying to hide the desperate, pleading note to his voice. This was the second time this week he had pleaded with Mickey. He just hoped this one got a better response. "We can't just leave it like this."

The tension slowly eased out of Mickey's body, and for a second Ian thought he was actually going to say something. But just like when he had thought (just for a moment; one perfect moment) that he was going to admit Ian actually meant something to him, Ian was wrong. Mickey drained the bottle in his hand, and threw it across the room. Neither boy even acknowledged the crash it made when it hit the wall.

"Just go the fuck away."

For a moment Ian wanted to fight. He wanted to yell and scream and _fight_ because Mickey was making a huge mistake. But he couldn't. There was no fight left in him. "Fine." Ian slowly got to his feet and made his way back across the empty room. Just before walking out the door, he turned around to face Mickey once again. "You know what, fuck you." And with that he walked away, pretending he didn't see the almost devastated look that had flashed across Mickey's face at his words.

\- - -

After seeing Mickey that day, Ian's mood didn't change. He went back to school, but only because Fiona forced him. School, work, home. That was all Ian did these days. Whenever he got home from school or work, he would immediately go up to his room, and not move until it was time to start the day over again. He wasn't talking, and wouldn't even see Mandy. It was like he lost the will to care about anything.

Three days before Mickey was supposed to get married, there was a knock on the door while Fiona was trying to fix dinner. With a sigh, she picked up a dish towel to wipe her hands, and opened the door. The surprise she felt at seeing Mickey Milkovich at the door was evident on her face.

"Ian here?" he asked, rubbing his thumb across his lower lip.

"Look, Mickey. I'm sorry if Ian hurt your sister by not wanting to see her, but he hasn't been himself lately. Give him a break," Fiona told him, slowly inching the door closed so he couldn't force his way into the house. Ian didn't deserve to have the wrath of Mickey set upon him because he was hurting for some unknown reason.

Mickey laughed, a dry, sarcastic laugh. "This isn't about Mandy," he told her, shaking his head. "I need to talk to Ian."

Fiona raised an eyebrow. "Well he's not exactly seeing people, so I guess you're shit out of luck aren't you?"

"Just tell him I'm here?" Mickey asked. "Please?"

It was the please that did it. Fiona doubted her brother would come downstairs for Mickey when he wouldn't come down for his family or his best friend, but Mickey had actually said please, and well, Fiona just couldn't overlook that. She sighed, and opened the door wider. "Fine. Come on in, I'll see if I can get him."

She watched as Mickey sat down at the table, looking clearly uncomfortable, before shaking her head and making her way upstairs. She opened the door to Ian's room without bothering to knock, knowing he would just send her away if she did. "Mickey Milkovich is downstairs for you. Do you want me to tell him to leave?"

The last thing Fiona had been expecting was for Ian to sit up quickly and look at her. "He's here?" Fiona just nodded, and watched in surprise as her brother moved from the bed without being forced for the first time in over a week. She followed him down the stairs, stopping behind him as he stopped on the bottom step, watching Mickey carefully.

"What are you doing here?"

Mickey looked up at the sound of Ian's voice. "I...I didn't know where else to go," he said quietly.

Ian took a slow step forward, and then another, and another, before walking quickly over to the table and sitting down in the chair beside Mickey.

"I don't want to marry her," Mickey continued, still looking straight at Ian. He opened his mouth to say something else, but trailed off when he caught sight of Fiona still standing on the stairs. "You were right," he said instead, willing Ian to understand what he was talking about. "Shit, Gallagher, I don't know what to do."

For the first time in far too long, a small smile threatened to appear on Ian's face, but it was overwhelmed by the desperation on Mickey's face. "We'll figure something out," Ian promised him. It wasn’t a solution to all their problems, and Ian knew there was still a long road ahead of them, but...it was a start and that was more than he had hoped for at this point.

**Author's Note:**

> This is really just a test run of sorts to see if I can do these characters justice before I tackle a larger project that I have in mind. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.


End file.
